Finding Solace
by Shiroyuki and Hirama
Summary: Surviving an attack from a Hollow, Renji lost his memories except those that involved Ichigo and grew so attached to the boy. And so they ended up living together temporarily, but how will Byakuya react? Renji x Byakuya, light Ichigo x Renji.
1. Caged Memories

**Title**: Finding Solace  
**Pairing**: RenjixByakuya and light IchigoxRenji rather one-sided... maybe  
**Warning**: Violence, words, Shounen-ai, slightly AU, some OOC in Renji's part, and a pissed Byakuya.  
**Summary**: A weird symptom occurred to Renji after a rather brutal attack from a Hollow. He seemed to lose his memories except those that are about Ichigo, and grew so attached to the boy. Unohana then asked Ichigo to live with Renji while the cure was in making. But how will Byakuya reacted to this?

Chapter One

Cries of battle soared from his throat as he raised Zangetsu high and forcefully swung it down right into the fifth Hollow. Another cry; this time from the Hollow, ripped through the air as its mask cracked and the body quickly dissipated into cold night air. As the Hollow disappeared, Ichigo once again raised Zangetsu and put on a fighting stance, his light panting gave signs to his tiredness and yet his reiatsu still flared and raged, adrenaline rushed through his body, and he once again made a leapt through the air.

With another heavy slash, the Hollow that flew around his head was dead. Kurosaki exhaled rather gruffly when he landed on the ground.

"Hoero, Zabimaru!"

The Shinigami substitute turned and saw his comrade, slashing through the rapidly decreasing numbers of Hollows. Abarai Renji shouted and extended Zabimaru, maneuvering it in deadly quick circular motion, diminishing a massive amount of Hollows around him.

"You okay?" Ichigo asked loudly from his place, still not entering Renji's battle zone as not to piss the redhead and his pride.

"Concern 'bout yourself!" Renji retorted back and finished yet another Hollow. The redhead's brown eyes shot a look at the carrot top as he snarled, both at the Hollow and at his friend.

"Che, snappy today, huh..." Ichigo snorted back and half-pouted at the Fukutaichou, though no ill-intention in his gesture.

"ICHIGO!"

Kurosaki's brown eyes widened at Renji's sudden shout. His body reacted on his own and turned around, only to find a huge green fury Hollow looking down at him, sharp claws already swung rapidly right into its target; Ichigo's heart.

"Dammit!" the unsuspecting Ichigo tried to leap out of range.

"_Too late!"_

The next thing he registered in his brain after an ear-wrenching cry and a painful sound of something being stabbed into a flesh was Renji, in front of him, bleeding... whereas it was him who should be in that condition. The redhead had stolen his place in taking the full damage. Brown eyes widened and skin paled as Ichigo saw the claws that still ripped through his friend's body twisted wickedly into a painful angle, emitting another pain-filled shout from the redhead and sputter of crimson blood burst forth from the hole on his stomach.

"RENJI!"

"F-fool!" Renji coughed out blood, staining his robe and hakama. "F-finish it... q-quick... while... I-I still... hold it...down..."

Ichigo wanted to argue about how stupid it was to sacrifice your own body and still spoke through a fatal wound (and for calling him a fool) but decided against it, as he could always pound some healthy sense into Renji's stubborn head later... _if_ the redhead managed to survive.

And in order to make sure of that, Ichigo has to kill this Hollow.

Zangetsu raised, and the plausible amount of reiatsu blasted out from the sword after a brutal swing from its master; rushing to the Hollow in breakneck pace.

"Getsuga Tenshou!!!!!"

_---------------_

Byakuya read and re-read through the report Renji had finished before the brash man left for another mission in the human world. The noble often moved his own brush to correct a few mistakes Renji made, making a note to himself that he had to make his fukutaichou rectify this as soon as he got back.

Six years after all the Aizen and Arrancar fiasco, Byakuya took a few notes that Renji had improved a great deal in many aspects, including some sort of discipline the redhead now possessed (in which Byakuya hasn't able to stuff some into his fukutaichou in the past), not to mention the improvement in fighting skills. He also realized and accepted that the noble himself had come to a point where he put a huge deal of respect for the rough man.

But the most twisted turn-out of event had to be their established relationship that had started three years ago.

Byakuya's eyes unconsciously darted to his left hand, where a band of gleaming silver encircled his finger and memory of few months ago came flowing in his mind. Renji had brought one from the living world and rather shyly showed it to him. The noble's eyes had widened at Renji's so called proposal, he didn't even think Renji would do something as far as that. The Rokubantai Taichou remembered the unmistakably crimson blush dusted his cheeks as he wordlessly nodded. And how Renji's own colored his cheeks as the easy-going man rather hesitantly placed the ring on his finger and marveled about how it suited the noble in muffled words. Byakuya had let himself smiled a bit at that as he raised his hand to his eye-level, and let Renji's familiar lips placed a tender kiss to his forehead as two tattooed arms snaked around his waist.

His thought was interrupted by a rather harsh knock on the door.

"Urgent message, Kuchiki-Taichou!"

_---------------_

Ichigo sat outside the room where Renji's healing process took place. His hand fisted on his hakama and a deep scowl plastered on his face.

_---------------_

"_Idiot! You idiot!" Ichigo rushed to the now unconscious, but still bleeding Renji, quickly kneeling down and checked his breathing. _

_Faint, but still there. _

_The redhead's reiatsu also felt abysmally low. _

"_Shit! Calm down! I have to bring him to Inoue! Inoue!" the girl's name ranted through his mind and he immediately realized that the girl's apartment was very far from their current location. Even with shunpo, Ichigo didn't sure he would make it on time. Not to mention he was afraid of moving Renji's body around as it was possible to deepen the wound. _

"_Ichigo-san!!!"_

_Ichigo's head snapped up at the mention of his name and he realized a portal to Soul Society has opened and a rather wide-eyed Hanatarou and Kira stood there._

"_Abarai-kun!!!!" Kira rushed to Ichigo's aid, Hanatarou followed closely behind._

"_Hanatarou! Thank goodness!! Ichigo felt a wash of relief as he saw Hanatarou started meddling with his healing equipment. Ichigo quickly stepped aside and let the timid shinigami took care the situation. _

"_We were sent as aid for Abarai-kun since the Hollows' signals increased abnormally... but it looked like you already beat us into it," Izuru briefed Ichigo about the reason why both of them were there in the first place._

_Ichigo nodded at the blonde as his thanks, brown eyes still fixed at Renji's still form, now glowing green from the treatment Hanatarou was giving._

_Kira too, adverted his gaze from the subtitute shinigami and looked at his friend, concern painted all over the blonde's pale face; pretty much like Ichigo's._

_After what seemed like an hour, Hanatarou looked up at both shinigami waiting anxiously behind him, the look on the Fourth Division member's face didn't give the lightest second wave of relief Ichigo was hoping for. _

"_I've stabilized him... but this wound is weird... we need to head back to Unohana-taichou!"_

_---------------_

Ichigo didn't know how long he sat there drowning in his own mind until another surge of familiar calm reiatsu filled the room. And when he looked up from his lap, he saw exactly who he thought was the owner of that strong energy.

Kuchiki Byakuya stared down at him; behind him was a timid-looking Kira, who looked like he accomplished his task of alerting Byakuya about the condition of his fukutaichou. The Captain inclined his head lightly as a greeting for the orange haired man, other than that, he remained calm and stoic like he always did.

Ichigo wanted to ask, or rather, snap at why Byakuya looked so calm when his fukutaichou was struggling to keep his life on the line, but was stopped at the sound of the door gently pushed opened and Unohana Retsu stepped out.

"Unohana-taichou!" Izuru and Ichigo quickly searched the woman's face, and at the serious expression the normally calm woman put on, Kurosaki and Kira gulped.

"It's okay, he's awake and he only needs to rest now..." two exhales of breath followed the statement. Unohana's eyes darted from Kira, to Ichigo, and finally, to Byakuya. She seemed to be running through a few options on her mind, as seen from her slightly furrowed brows before speaking again.

"However, there's this effect of the poison from the Hollow..."

"POISON!?" Ichigo practically shouted, and consciously clamped own his mouth when he saw Kira silenced him with a finger on the lips.

Byakuya's brows furrowed.

"You better see for yourself... but I must remind you, please don't disturb Abarai-kun... and Kurosaki-san... if you may go first," Unohana turned around, once again opened the door and motioned Ichigo to enter first, in which Ichigo obeyed even though his mind was quite in a ruckus and confusion. His light steps were soon followed by the other three shinigami and the door was closed.

When they entered the room, they could clearly hear an argument going from behind the closed curtain of Renji's ward. Confusion and curiosity won over Ichigo's mind as he looked over to Unohana, asking permission, and at the woman's gentle smile and encouraging nod, he slid the curtain aside. Kira with an anxious expression peered over his shoulder and Byakuya remained impassive.

"I don't want to—ah! Ichigo!"

Renji was sitting on a bed wrapped in white yukata, his unbound hair framing his face and obscuring a quarter of his view. A rather scared mixed with angry and confused expression plastered on his face, around his bed was an equally confused Hanatarou and another Fourth Division Ichigo couldn't recall if he had become acquaintance with. But that didn't matter since at the exact time Renji and Ichigo made an eye-contact, the redhead practically jumped out from the bed and ran to Ichigo, wrapping his arms tightly around the shorter body.

"Huh????" to say Ichigo was confused was an understatement. Brown eyes widened instantly when the bandaged body pressed itself flush against his own. And a face buried on his shoulder. He didn't remember Renji ever been this... clingy.

Kira and Byakuya also shared a similar reaction, only Kira's was more extreme as his jaw hung open with blue eyes wide while Byakuya only raised a brow.

"Wait... wait! What—" Ichigo managed to said as he struggled down to see the redhead's expression and managed to stay standing from the larger weight suddenly put on him.

"Ichigo! These damn guys kept asking things I don't understand!" Renji said, muffled judging from his position on Ichigo's shoulder. Stance and how auburn eyes glared clearly said that Renji was referring to Hanatarou and his friend.

Ichigo wanted to retort back with a comment along the line: _"It's you that I don't understand!"_ as Renji buried his face on Ichigo's neck and turned deaf ears to all of them, but Unohana cut off any further comment queuing in Ichigo's brain.

"See, it seems that it affected Abarai-kun's brain and memory... he didn't seem to remember anything aside of his own name and you, Kurosaki-san..." Unohana explained.

"EEEHHH!!!???" Ichigo's jaw dropped as the arms around him tightened.

"This kind of effect is entirely new, so we must conduct experiments and investigate first before we can have Abarai-fukutaichou completely healed. I'm afraid we can't have him in this state here as it was clear he's currently uncomfortable with us, and that could affect his mental state. And at the same time we can't have you here to accompany him since you have your own life, Kurosaki-san... so..."

"So..." Ichigo felt he could already guess what Unohana's next words would be.

"Can you have him living with you while we make the antidote?" Unohana asked gently, completely understood that it would be a burden for the Kurosaki. But it looked like she didn't have another choice. "We'll make sure we keep an eye on him and his conditions, too... so one of us will visit you once in a while."

"..." Ichigo hesitated for a moment, now he was a college student and has his own apartment, so the problem of having your family suspicion upon you was taken care of. But that didn't help the main problem that a powerless Renji would surely be a burden.

But it was his fault after all; it was him who caused Renji's condition to be like this. And it was only fair for him to take care of his friend, since it was the entire thing he could do to repay the life debt he owed.

"Ichigo?" Renji called and drew back to his full height, staring down at Ichigo, but his arms remained secure around Ichigo's back, though it was more to calm himself than Ichigo, Renji's tattooed brows furrowed upon seeing Ichigo's expression. "Ichigo? Did they hurt you?" one hand came to hold Ichigo's chin gently.

Byakuya couldn't help a twitch at his brow and took a breath to calm himself. It wasn't his nature to react in such a way and it was all natural judging from his fukutaichou's current condition, everyone would also do that if the surrounding was completely foreign and you only found trust on one person in the whole world, but seeing his Renji all around the human Kurosaki... that undoubtedly pissed him off.

"I'll do it..." Ichigo reassured both Unohana and Renji. He gave a grin at his redhead friend and lightly patted his shoulder.

Unohana smiled warmly.

"I'm counting on you, Kurosaki-san."

-Tsuzuku-

**A/N**: A fic in which the plot and idea popped suddenly on my brain, and on a spare time I managed to write it. This would turn out into a mini-series (hope so). By the way, it's RenBya though it has light IchiRen on it... (in the first few chapters I guess didn't think that would be much of 'light'... at least, if I'm still holding to the current plot on my mind)

This is my first BLEACH fanfic, so constructive critics are welcomed!!!!


	2. Foreshadowing Dream

**Chapter 2**

It was nearly midnight when Ichigo was finally able to go home to sanctuary that was his apartment. Ichigo quickly brought his feet to the place where he deposited his body after he heard his substitute license beeped loudly earlier this evening; the kitchen. He located his body easily and hastily slipped into it, stretching and flexing his muscles as soon as he got back inside. He noted that a new bruise had appeared on his right knee, maybe the result of the impact his fall made when he zoomed out from his body.

Ichigo stood and dusted his pants free from debris before he walked in to his bedroom to change into his light blue pajamas. That was when he found out that Renji (in a gigai) was currently sleeping on his bed; curled around the blanket with the pillow hugged lightly. His white shirt crumpled lightly and curled upwards, exposing muscled stomach. Maybe after the redhead figure out that the bed shared Ichigo's distinct scent, the shinigami concluded that it was safe for him to sleep on it.

Ichigo didn't mind, though. He was the only one Renji trusted and relied upon, that meant Ichigo has to make slow and sure steps and guided Renji so he could get out from that condition and at least came to trust his fellow shinigami once again. That would tremendously helped Unohana to find out more about this new symptom and would decrease the time needed for Renji's full recovery.

Or so Unohana had said.

Another nag of curiosity seeped into Ichigo's head at the thought of Renji's reactions if the fukutaichou ever remembered that once he thought that losing sight of Ichigo meant doom.

Smirk bloomed on Ichigo's lips at the thought of being able to blackmail Renji with that sometime in the future.

He quietly slipped beside the lightly snoring redhead, gently nudged a knee that had surpassed the invisible line of his side of bed. With a soft thug, Ichigo was able to reclaim his pillow from Renji's possession; Kurosaki tucked it beneath their heads, and sighed at the soft scent. Its familiar aura quickly lulled Ichigo into deep slumber.

"... chigo..."

Even Ichigo's dazed mind couldn't misplace the feeling of two muscled arms wrapping around him and a head gently nestled on the crook of his neck. Yet he didn't have the energy to protest and it was not like he refused extra warmth from Renji for the night. It was actually quite cold these days.

So Ichigo covered both of them with the blanket, and after hesitation for a few seconds, placed his arm around Renji's shoulder.

"Night, Renji..." the carrot top yawned.

"Mmm..."

And both of them plunged down into the comforting darkness.

----------------------------------------------------

_"Renji." _

"Huh?? Wha? Byakuya?" hoarse voice from sleep emitted from his throat as the redhead blinked a pair of sleepy auburn eyes.

"I honestly think that bed is more comfortable than my lap and this couch..."

"Hmmm..." Renji nuzzled on his captain's white haori, filling his lungs with his Byakuya's scent. "Sorry... kinda tired, since Ikakku th' bastard decided to chase upon my ass for a spar today..."

Byakuya didn't respond immediately, he ran his slender fingers gently across Renji's cheek instead. "Oh."

"It suits ya..." Renji smiled widely, he caught the wandering hand and kissed the finger enchanted by a silver ring. Auburn eyes slid closed as his other hand came to the crook of Byakuya's arm, resting there.

"You seem to have a weird obsession over this ring..." the nobleman sighed as he let Renji's mouth traveled around his hand in a tray of light kisses.

"That so? Maybe because I need two months of my paycheck to afford this lil' guy..." Renji gave out a light chuckle as he stopped his caress to Byakuya's hand. Eyelids opened to reveal a pair of mesmerizing auburn eyes, the orbs rolled upwards to meet cool, gray ones.

"And isn't that a little bit too extreme?"

An absent shrug was the answer. "Depends... but isn't it the same for ya? I mean, you afforded this the next day I gave that one to you," Renji raised his left hand, where a similar ring encased his finger. "And you don't need to wait two months to afford this..."

"Family influence..."

"Ha! Thought so!" Renji pulled himself up in sitting position, edging himself closer to his fiancé. "You Kuchikis and your rich assess!!"

"Perhaps," Byakuya leaned backwards and closed his eyes, resting his head on the couch. "But if they kick me out from the clan after I inform them about my engagement with you..." a pause as steel gray eyes were revealed from closed eyelids.

"You have to come with something more original than that," Kuchiki finished; once again letting a ghost of smirk graced his usually pursed lips.

"...Byakuya," Reji softly sighed, as he caught the deeper meaning behind his Captain's smart remark. Abarai rested his hand on Byakuya's head, lightly brushing his fingers across the sign of nobility.

"...this... I mean, us... is not really the best choice, isn't it? I've been wondering if I did the right thing."

"We already went through this Renji, as I have said; don't bring this subject up again."

"But..."

Byakuya turned his head as to fully face Renji. "Neither am I know which one is right, Renji. This world isn't black and white...but, even though this, us, did turn out wrong... I'll never regret this choice I've made, even if it has to change in the end."

Renji stared at Byakuya's feature, his eyes softened yet held hints of sadness before he wrapped his strong arms around the man with smaller built. The nobleman closed his eyes and relaxed into the soft soothing touch; he leaned his head against Renji's shoulder and brought his arms to return the gesture.

"Yeah... yeah I know." The red-haired man whispered. "And no matter what choice you made in the end, I'll be here to fight alongside of you..."

The arms around Renji's body tightened as he felt soft lips brushed against his neck.

"Thank you."

----------------------------------------------------

Ichigo smeared the strawberry jam on his toast after he went around the kitchen preparing breakfast, all while keeping an eye on the redhead perched on his bed. He didn't have classes today so he could watch over Renji properly. In his current position, he could easily see every move the redhead made from his wide-opened bedroom door.

Renji was wide awake a few minutes after Ichigo. And while Ichigo started meddling around with morning routine, the loud redhead stayed still on the bed, his furrowed brows showed he was deep in thought. Ichigo didn't pay much attention to it earlier, as he thought Renji was only catching up with recent events and why he ended up in there, but after it went for half an hour, Ichigo couldn't help but (once again) felt curious about that.

The orange-haired shinigami bit his toast. "Renji! Don't you want breakfast? It'll get cold!" he called with slightly muffled voice.

"Yeah, comin'!" Renji responded immediately, slowly he slid his body from the tangles of sheets and blankets and tottered over to where Ichigo was waiting on the table.

"... what's this?" Renji asked as he sat down.

"Toasts and scrambled eggs, but if you prefer something else...umm, I didn't prepare anything in the fridge...ah! But if it's only onigiri I can make it."

"No, this is fine, thanks..." Renji picked his toast and took a large bite.

Ichigo eyed the redhead as he took a sip of his orange juice. From Renji's current condition, Ichigo could easily tell that something was bothering the brash fukutaichou. Ichigo contemplated whether to ask Renji or not, but since it may have connection to Renji's buried memories, Ichigo took a breath, braced himself, and asked.

"Something on your mind?" the substitute shinigami tried to make it sound as casual as possible while he plopped the last remaining of his toast into his mouth.

"... nah, not really... it's just... this dream last night," Renji shrugged in his carefree attitude, Abarai shifted his attention to his untouched scrambled eggs. He seemed curious as he started to poke the yellow material around with his fork, much like his first time eating the stuff.

"Dream?" Ichigo parroted. Brown eyes met the other's, demanding explanation.

"Hmmm..." Renji chewed his first bite of eggs first before he continued in a serous tone. "I saw me and... this someone whom I don't know, but it seems that we got along well..." he trailed off, trying to remember the rest.

Ichigo's face lit up. Maybe Renji dreamt about something in his past!

"How does that someone look like?" Ichigo urged Renji to continue, he rested his elbows on the table so he could lean forward as to hear the redhead better.

"Ichigo... you have crumbs on your cheek..." Renji spoke off-topic out of sudden. The redhead reached out and grasped Ichigo's chin, rubbing a tissue over the offending flakes. To make the situation worse, the redhead innocently leaned forward to inspect his work until Ichigo swore he could feel Renji's breath against him.

"No need to do that!!!" Ichigo's eyes widened and he pulled his face away roughly, feeling suddenly uncomfortable as heat rose to his cheeks.

"Heee... Ichigo, you look cute like that!" Renji smirked when he saw Ichigo's blushing face.

"C-cute!? Whaddya mean by that, baka!?" Ichigo felt offended by the Renji's reference. He displayed his fierce scowl at the redhead, showing that he was pissed.

"A-a... sorry, didn't mean to insult you there..." Renji's eyes widened slightly at Ichigo's unsuspected attitude.

At the redhead's regretful expression, Ichigo remembered that this Renji was not the usual Renji who would playfully retort back at his glares and rude comments, the one who bore tendencies to initiate a rude words exchange between them. This Renji was cautious to his surrounding, full of hesitation, and he seemed to like close contacts with those he shared his trust. It was way too different.

"N-no... I shouldn't do that also..." Ichigo slumped back to his chair. "What the hell?? Why am I so pissed at that?? It's just Renji... but hell! We nearly kissed! The heck did he think back there!?" the carrot top massaged his forehead to calm himself.

"Now, Renji... um, would you mind continuing about that dream of yours?" Ichigo asked again, both to continue his true intent earlier and to lighten up the suddenly tense atmosphere. He asked more gently this time to show that he was not pissed anymore.

"... was it true?" instead of answering, Renji asked back; even though the question sounded more to himself than to Ichigo. The redhead stared down at his hand; Ichigo couldn't see what exactly made the tattooed man so preoccupied with it because Kurosaki's view was blocked by his dining table.

"Ha? What? What was true?" Ichigo sipped his orange juice with curiosity, eyes still fixed on the man across of him.

"I'm engaged..."

"YOU'RE WHAT!!!??" Ichigo choked on his juice upon hearing that new bits of information and started a series of violent coughs.

"Ichigo! Are you okay??" Renji quickly rushed to Ichigo's side, offering a glass of water while rubbing his hand in soothing circles around Ichigo's back.

"Sorry... err..."

"N-not your fault... 's okay... it's just..." Ichigo ran his hand up and down on his chest as he filled his lungs with air, his breath slowly turned back to normal and the coughs gradually stopped. He accepted the water Renji offered to him with a simple 'thanks' before he directed a curious glance at Renji's left hand.

Indeed, a gleaming silver ring rested on Renji's finger, it shone as if daring Ichigo to ask about its very existence. The college student silently asked himself why he didn't notice it before as he brought Renji's left hand to the front of his face, inspecting the ring closer.

"Indeed..." Ichigo muttered in disbelief. "Y-you're... you're engaged!?" he asked louder, but only for Renji to hear, disbelief and shock still thick in his voice.

"I believe that's what I asked earlier," Renji muttered, slightly annoyed at Ichigo's unhelpful reaction.

"But... Renji, you... I..." Ichigo stilled his mouth since he didn't believe he would make coherent words with shock still clearly etched to his features. Instead, he just fell silent and stared at the ring with wide eyes.

_"Damn that Renji! He never told me that... gosh! He's already engaged and I don't know about it!? I thought he would share everything to me since I'm his friend! Dammit! If Renji is not in this condition I would've punched him after I congratulated the bastard! He better has a very very good and solid reason not to tell me about this! Could it be that he kept it from me as surprise!? Or he really intended not to tell me... but why?"_ Ichigo's mind ranted on.

And the next question that popped immediately in Ichigo's mind was: _"With who?"_

The substitue shinigami kept all of it to himself though, since he fully knew that the current Renji was incapable of answering all the questions aching for answers in his brain. And if he did ask the red-haired shinigami, he was afraid that the decision would moreover shake the redhead's already fragile mental state.

"Ichigo...?" Ichigo felt Renji's arms snaked around him, holding him close. And Ichigo sensed that this Renji was just as concern as he was.

"Renji... it's okay, I'm not mad... I'm just surprised..." Ichigo smiled to assure the redhead as the college student gave light pat to Renji's back, and softly stroking the brilliant red mane through its usual ponytail.

_"He's engaged... he's engaged... am I allowed to do this?"_ Ichigo felt hesitation seeped in to his skin as he continued the soft caress, feeling the other man melted in his arms. Suddenly Ichigo felt bad for whoever Renji was engaged with.

_"I'll find out myself... I'll go to Soul Society and find out!"_

But then he remembered today was Sunday and tomorrow he should start again with his routine as college student. The visit to Soul Society has to wait until Saturday.

_"Damn..."_

He then put his hope to those that would visit Renji and check on his condition, Ichigo just prayed that they would come sooner rather than later.

-tsuzuku-

**A/N:** I think I destroyed Renji's and Ichigo's characterization... and Niisama is sappy... XP... well... once again sorry for the mistakes I made and I hope you'll stick to this


	3. Triggered Minds

Chapter 3

Ichigo sighed as he climbed up the stairs that led to his apartment, a bag of groceries on his left hand while the other was shoved casually on his pants' pocket.

It was nearly a week since Renji was thrust into his authority, and still no one from Soul Society.

Like Unohana had bestowed upon him, he already tried his best to make Renji a bit more welcoming to his environment, rather than shove everything away. And it looked like Ichigo succeeded in achieving his goal; the redhead didn't try to break Chad's arm again, like he had tried the first time Chad came for a brief visit (luckily no one got hurt that time). But the redhead would still tense up and cautious if he ever met someone new.

"I'm home!" Ichigo said loudly out of habit after he flung open his door.

"Welcome back!" He was answered with an equally enthusiastic voice as Renji jogged down to meet him in the doorway.

"Did you get what I want??" Renji asked with sparkly eyes, his bigger hand tugging on Ichigo's.

"Yeah, here..." Ichigo took out a bag of strawberry-vanilla confetti Renji had fell in love with. The bag was quickly snatched from his hand as the redhead eagerly accepted it and flew back to the living room, immediately he plopped himself down on the couch and started savoring the heavenly treats.

Ichigo smiled a bit as he shook his head and placed the rest of his groceries on the table. Soon, the carrot top joined his friend on the couch.

The young man observed how the redhead ate the sweet substances, how each time the redhead would plop more than one of those small balls of sugar into his mouth, or how Renji would dart out his pink tongue and licked at his lips occasionally, cleaning the sugary treats thoroughly. How did Renji stay with his current weight was a mystery to Ichigo, concerning the amount of sweets he knew the redhead was fond of.

Ichigo grinned again; he began to enjoy the redhead's company and attention. The attention solely devoted to him. At first, he was uneasy with Renji's casual hugs or soothing closeness. Since he was not used to the fact that it was another i man /i administering the contacts. But it acquired some sense of warmth Ichigo had never felt before, and now he couldn't lie that he enjoyed it; he even returned the gestures. And judging by Renji's smiles and facial expressions, the redhead liked it too.

But it was entirely wrong.

"What's on your mind, Ichigo?" The smug voice sounded a lot closer as he felt a sugar-coated finger poking on his cheek.

"Nothin'... and stop that, you're making my cheek sticky..." the young man swatted the shinigami's hand away gently. Renji just grinned and stopped what he was doing, only to lean down and lapped the sugary goods away from Ichigo's cheek before he returned his attention to his sweets; delving it greedily.

"Ren—" Ichigo blinked and quickly inched away.

"Mm?" Renji asked from a mouthful of confetti, one tattooed eyebrow raised. He seemed unfazed by Ichigo's reaction to the contact.

Kurosaki tried to calm down his beating heart. He knew that Renji meant nothing, he knew that Renji was not himself, he knew that Renji was i engaged /i . But in these days he spent with the redhead's company, he felt like he never viewed the older man in the same way again. He realized that he had grown a certain liking for the redhead, yet he didn't dare to clarify it just yet, or maybe he was afraid that it was like what he thought it was like.

He felt something akin to crush towards the redhead.

Ichigo shook his head. It couldn't be. He doubted it; true, he liked Renji as a trustworthy companion and a nice friend, nothing more. Maybe the redhead's constant contacts and presence that caused such stimulations to his brain.

"Oi, Ichigo! Stop dozin' off like that!" Renji bonked Ichigo's head lightly, earning a surprised yelp from the carrot-top.

"Hey!" Ichigo attempted a glare but Renji returned it with a carefree grin of his.

There was something with that face that made Ichigo's heart clenched, accompanied a fluttering sensation in his stomach and each time he stubbornly tried to clamp it down. It gave away his feelings and intensified his doubt.

"_Oh, c'mon Ichigo! He's engaged!" _his inner voice told him again.

"Oi, Ichigo... it's ten o' clock already, don't you need sleep?" Renji mentioned, a bag of empty confetti was laid beside the redhead.

At the abrupt change of topic, Ichigo actually felt glad. The carrot-top glanced at the clock and found the redhead's recent sentence was right. Tomorrow he had classes to attend and a bouncy redhead on a sugar-high to take care of; surely a good dose of sleep would help him.

"Right..." Ichigo stood up and scratched his orange hair, making a few strands stuck out in weird angle. "Do you want to sleep, too?"

"Nah, not sleepy yet..." Renji raised his knees and folded his legs.

"Okay, just tell me if you need somethin'..." Ichigo yawned and realized that he was pretty tired. He walked into his bedroom slowly, immediately shuffling through the wardrobe for his pajamas.

It wasn't long before Renji could tell that his friend was asleep. The red-haired shinigami glanced around the living room to find anything he could do. Finding one, he reached for a remote lying on the nearby coffee table. Surely Ichigo wouldn't mind if the redhead decided to watch TV, right?

The fukutaichou was about to flick the TV on when he felt a sudden rush of reiatsu coursing through his body. Auburn eyes widened; his body automatically reacted by spinning around to the source of rippling reiatsu.

"Renji."

He was met with a pair of steel gray eyes.

Byakuya tilted his head slightly in a matter of greeting. The nobleman didn't miss how Renji's body tensed up and the redhead fell into defensive stance, much like their first encounter in Academy many years ago.

Renji regarded the regal form across of him with narrowed eyes. He didn't know... or rather, didn't remember this man. And yet he felt drawn to the other as soon as they made eye-contact; the black-haired man seemed insanely familiar. And not just that, it looked that the man's mere presence triggered something inside the redhead. Ever since his eyes met with the noble's, Renji saw brief flashes of something replaying inside his head.

"Do I know you?" Renji asked carefully while he contemplated whether to wake Ichigo or not.

"_More than you wanted to know,"_ Byakuya said bitterly in his head, instead, he just went with a simple: "I believe so."

"Oh..." Renji suddenly felt sick; the images in his head became clearer and clearer. Bodies everywhere, the air smell like blood as it continued to splutter, screams and cries were the only thing that filled the air aside from numerous battle cries, war raged. He saw himself, sword raised high, slashing through an army of white, moving continuously aside from his leaking wounds and gashes, blood staining his robes; his and his opponents'.

"_Wha..." _

"Renji?" Byakuya immediately felt something was out of place. From the way Renji started clutching his head and murmured something inaudible, the nobleman knew that his fiancé was in pain.

"Renji?" he called again, louder.

Renji answered with a hiss, his head felt like it was banged into a wall. Renji's grip on his head tightened, trying to wash the pain away with no avail. The images kept moving and flashing with such speed, showing different scenes, and different people. It was like watching a trailer of a movie; except that movie trailer didn't make your head stung.

_---_

"_We'll stay together forever!" A little girl with bright blue eyes held out her hand. _

"_Yeah!" The rest of the little gang; one of them was a smaller version of himself immediately clasped theirs atop of the girl's._

_--- _

"_Renji..." she turned to him, resolute and ready for whatever was her decision. _

"_Let's become shinigami!"_

_He stared at her eyes for a moment._

"_Yeah, let's become shinigami!" he didn't need a second thought to answer that question._

_--- _

"_Where are you going, Renji?" _

"_I am going to save Rukia!" He turned and faced the nobleman with fierce determination painted all over his face. _

_---_

"_Why are you still here?" The voice was soft, inquiring, and it contained no sense of authority it usually possessed._

"_Because I'm your fukutaichou..." He answered; avoiding eye-contact with the person he used to despise most. _

_---_

"_I don't hate you... in fact, I..." The nobleman trailed off, his voice wavered slightly but his steel gray eyes were set into his lieutenant's frame, regal with dull edge of authority in it, just like usual, though his flawless stance betrayed the light pinkish blush on his cheeks. _

"_Neither am I, Taichou... neither am I..." _

_---_

"_What is that?" A girl with bun and a pale blonde tried to peek over his shoulder._

"_It's nothing of your concern!" He was aware of the blush started creeping to his cheeks as he hid the small, red velvet box behind him._

_---_

"_Renji?"_

"_Don't say anything, Taichou..." he closed his auburn eyes and encircled the smaller man with his arms. His lips quickly found the other's in a fleeting kiss. _

_---_

"_You're engaged with Nii-sama?? He told me back then... and... he was smiling and happy! I swear!!" the outburst was sudden and even though she made a statement, she also demanded an explanation in a same time._

"_So much for not making a fuss... yeah I did, and he—Gah!" his further statement died down as the petite woman launched herself and engulfed her childhood friend in a bear hug. He wasn't aware that such lithe body possessed this monstrous power. _

"_Ru-Rukia!"_

"_Congratulations you lucky bastard!!!!" she laughed and ruffled his spiky ponytail. _

_---_

Renji squeezed his eyes shut, trying to redeem his aching head; his body couldn't take the sudden intake of memories and various feelings washed over him like flood. His knees quivered before they gave up and dropped his weight to the couch; his body shaking like a fallen leaf.

Renji screamed.

Byakuya quickly reacted by shifting into the younger man's side, kneeling down on the floor. His left palm pressed into Renji's back, channeling some reiatsu to calm the other man down, while his right tried to hold down Renji's trashing body; rubbing his hand soothingly on the redhead's arm.

Renji felt the oddly familiar warmth rushed through his body and he gradually calmed down. The other's reiatsu eased up his headache and the images of his memory gradually blurred, leaving the redhead with his sharp intakes of shuddering breath.

"It's okay..." Byakuya whispered rather gently into Renji's ear, before he shoved some of his reiatsu into the redhead, forcibly knocking the redhead into unconsciousness.

"Renji? What happe—Shit, Renji! Byakuya!" Ichigo was now more than wide awake from Renji's earlier scream. With quick, long steps, Ichigo was on the redhead's side; collecting the slumped figure in his arms, away from Byakuya.

"What did you do to him!!??" Ichigo asked menacingly, his usually warm brown eyes glared daggers at the nobleman as his arms tightened around the redhead protectively.

If Byakuya hadn't caught himself in time, he would have blinked at the accusation. "I didn't do anything that has possibilities of harming him, Kurosaki. Quite the contrary, actually," he stated and stared at how Ichigo was holding Renji in his arms, it actually made the nobleman's lips pursed in displeasure and gave way to his usually stoic demeanor.

"Then what happened?" the harsh tone subdued though it still contained light hints of disbelief.

"I don't know, Kurosaki, he just lost control like that when he saw me," Byakuya told the young man. His hand once again reached out to touch his fukutaichou's head, making sure that the redhead didn't have more disturbances in his unconsciousness.

"Don't touch him!" Ichigo growled in warning and grabbed the offending hand with such a speed and strength Byakuya didn't have time to react. The substitute shinigami yanked the pristine hand forcefully away from Renji.

Byakuya's eyes widened as the stinging sensation on his wrist registered onto his brain. It was a blow to his pride, being treated like that. Soon, his dark eyes narrowed in light shock and annoyance at the human's crude behavior. His thin lips pursed before he hissed in a low, dangerous tone.

"Boy, you better have—"

"What the hell..." the aggravation of Byakuya's mildly surprised expression was painted on Ichigo's face. It didn't have connection with Byakuya's earlier threat, as the nobleman noticed. Rather, the boy's hazel eyes, seconds ago filled with protectiveness, now only reflected shock and disbelief as they stared down.

Byakuya followed Ichigo's gaze and his own eyes landed to his ring, calmly rested on his finger. It shone lightly beneath the two gazes, as if answering to the faint glint of its pair; who nestled comfortably in Renji's ringer finger.

"Byakuya, you—" Ichigo loosened his grip on Byakuya's wrist, his voice faltered as he finally found some courage to raise his head and met Byakuya's sharp gaze.

The captain freed his hand from with a light jerk. From the way Ichigo stared at him, Byakuya could guess that Kurosaki was aware of something he shouldn't, or at least, in Byakuya's point of view.

"You— you're Renji's..." Ichigo simply couldn't... or rather, wouldn't believe this. He wasn't that stupid to miss the fact that Byakuya, who wasn't fond of accessories or jewelries, wore the exact same ring as Renji.

Of all people Renji was involved with, of all i woman /i Renji made acquaintance with, did the mysterious person, the person in which Renji would spend the rest of his life with, the person Ichigo himself had put interest in really turned out to be Renji's cold, stoic, tight noble-ass captain; one Kuchiki Byakuya?

Byakuya frowned. He didn't really want to explain the whole stuff to Ichigo, not that it would take a long time, but also gave the carrot-top brief glimpses at how vulnerable Byakuya's emotions were, a thing Byakuya instantly didn't sit well with.

Apparently, Ichigo misinterpreted Byakuya's frown, as he quickly waved his hand around with a light guilt in his face.

"No, no! I'm not saying that's wrong or... disgusting or anything! It's just... um, shocking, ya know?" He said with a nervous chuckle. It was obvious that the orange-haired young man was trying to lighten the atmosphere up, yet his display of carefree attitude was not enough to cover the obvious presence of shock, curiosity and demand in the human's eyes.

Byakuya closed his eyes and sighed.

"Very well," he said, more to himself than to Ichigo. "As my gratitude for saving Renji I will tell you, Kurosaki... however," he opened his lids to reveal a pair of steel gray eyes.

"Not many are aware of this... matter, as you see, so I really appreciate it if you would keep silenced, at least, after both of us reveal this matter ourselves, and I would also like to put boundaries in things you find interesting, in other words, I won't answer all of your question, Kurosaki, only those I think you need to know," his tone was dead serious and gave no room for complaints.

Ichigo gulped, a bit intimidated by Byakuya's tone.

"But first, I suggest that we bring Renji to Soul Society, Unohana-taichou surely knows what to do," and without further ado, the noble rose to his feet, motioning Ichigo to do the same.

"... okay," Ichigo muttered while Byakuya bent to pick his fukutaichou who served as a dead weight up without much difficulty, considering Renji was bigger than the regal nobleman.

"I'll inform the rest for you there, Kurosaki..." Byakuya emphasized before he leapt out from the window with Renji draped across his shoulder.

Ichigo nodded and rushed to his room, he wasted no time in finding his badge and picked his substitute license up. The young man placed it on his chest and soon he felt familiar sensation of soul being dispatched from its holder and the welcoming flutters of his shinigami robes against his frame.

Once he was secured in his shihakushō, Ichigo quickly followed the noble's steps, preparing himself for whatever the noble has in store for him.

-tsuzuku-

A/N: In the end, I still don't like how this chappie ended up... but somehow I can't find more suitable idea... so yeah, once again gomen for grammar mistakes and stuffs, I know I'm horrible at that, and this fic is un-beta-ed. And thanks for those who commented and gave me critics and all in previous chapters, you're da best is happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	4. Two Minds

Chapter Four

"Kuchiki-taichou, Ichigo-san... you may come in..." Hanatarou's timid voice called both shinigami and Ichigo actually felt glad that the healer finally put an end to the somewhat thick atmosphere that had settled between both Ichigo and Byakuya.

The seventh seat moved away to make room for Ichigo and Byakuya, and then followed them shyly deeper into the room.

At the rustlings of clothes, easy steps and signature reiatsu, Unohana turned and regarded both shinigami with a reassuring smile.

"He's fine," she said, nodding into the direction of the bed, where an unconscious Renji was placed. Beside the bedpost was the fourth division's fukutaichou, Kotetsu Isane. She seemed busy scribbling something on a file with Renji's name in it.

"I'll leave you two with him now, he's stabilized but if anything happens you should called one of our members..." Unohana bowed slightly and with graceful steps she walked out from the room, followed by her fukutaichou and Hanatarou, who smiled at Ichigo and gave the ryoka boy a wave.

Ichigo waved back once with a smile of his own.

"Kurosaki."

_"Ugh,"_ Ichigo tensed and turned to face the nobleman.

"It's better if he's entrusted into Soul Society's care now," Byakuya was indeed giving an option, but his tone didn't leave any room for Ichigo to protest. Ichigo came to a conclusion with that; the noble didn't trust him enough.

Ichigo was officially annoyed, and yet he couldn't come up with an argument. He was no healer after all.

"Yeah... yeah, actually I've been thinking about that... so, um, you're right..." the carrot-top approached the bed again, bracing himself with both hands on the soft mattress. His hazel eyes shifted from the unconscious Renji to Byakuya.

Byakuya's eyes were fixed on Renji, his expression neutral and impassive, the only expression he allowed to show. But Ichigo could easily tell the difference in the noble's eyes. The usually cold, ice-inducing gray eyes were now veiled with underlying emotions Ichigo never thought existed inside the noble. A mixture of concern, care, and something deeper was reflected in those beautiful orbs. The human could easily conclude that if he was not around, Byakuya would definitely initiate small physical contacts with Renji already, either holding Renji's hand or stroking his hair.

Ichigo unconsciously snorted.

It was not like he didn't like the Byakuya he just witnessed, in fact, he was actually glad the noble was still capable of feeling human emotions. The fact that iRenji/i was the one who caused such contrast was what Ichigo didn't like.

"What is it?"

"Huh? Oh—no, no... nothing," Ichigo averted his eyes to Renji again.

The thick, uncomfortable silence hung shortly after. It was broken when Ichigo finally mustered enough courage to bring back the untouched topic since he went to Soul Society today.

"Sooo... you're engaged... how did it end like that? I mean... you're noble and all..." he tried to make the question sounded light and carefree, since he had heard that Byakuya was sensitive about topics like this.

The noble closed his eyes briefly before he directed his gray eyes to meet warm brown.

"Me being a noble doesn't have any connection in this, Kurosaki."

"Yeah, I can see that... I mean... yanno, all that shitty family rules and stuffs... you're breaking it... again, aren't you?" Ichigo said slowly and immediately wondered did he go too far already.

"I am fully aware that I am doing a thing that my family would certainly disapprove. And with their still-existed ill feelings towards Hisana, I am afraid that if they figure it out, they would do something horrible to him, to make sure the same thing with Hisana won't happen again," Byakuya said, voice even, and yet his eyes was directed to Renji, veiled with concern.

Ichigo scratched his chin thoughtfully as his brows furrowed in displeasure at hearing the bits of information. "That's... rather cruel."

"Everything for the clan." Byakuya said and Ichigo could sense the obviously mocking tone it held.

The younger of the two snorted again, this time letting Byakuya heard it so the captain knew he was on the same side as him.

"Renji sure is a guy with helluva guts, isn't he?" Ichigo chuckled lightly at his own statement, unaware of a ghost of smile tugging up on the noble's lips upon hearing those words.

"Indeed."

A brief silence rose after that, but it wasn't uncomfortable.

"Another question, didn't anyone notice those rings? I mean... they're pretty obvious..." Ichigo pointed to the glinting silver band.

"Until now, no one makes a problem out of it... but since Renji didn't wear his so often so he doesn't attract public attention, I think that problem was taken care of," Byakuya was now talking with more ease, as Ichigo noted.

"Kuchiki-taichou..." a new, formal-sounded voice from outside the door called. "Your presence was requested by Unohana-taichou in the tenth Division headquarters, she is waiting for you now..."

"I'll be right there..." Byakuya straightened himself and shot Renji a last concerned look before he spun around and walked outside.

"You're not gonna kiss him?" Ichigo teased with a wide grin.

Byakuya shot Ichigo the last threatening look that clearly said 'shut-up' before he resumed his walk, softly closing the door behind him.

Well, it was not like he wouldn't do that if Ichigo wasn't around...

When Byakuya was out of sight, Ichigo had to grin widely. Today was a record, since he made the tight-ass icy noble Byakuya showed more than one expression during a short conversation.

"Luckily he didn't kiss you for real..." Ichigo smiled down, knowing that the redhead couldn't possibly hear him.

The ryoka boy dragged a nearby chair and plopped himself down once the chair was set up beside the bed, his eyes never left the figure of his redheaded companion.

"You know, Renji?" Ichigo sighed as he crossed his arms on the soft cover and placed his chin atop of it, his hazel eyes roaming over Renji's sleeping feature.

Ichigo whispered gently, like he did to his sisters if they needed their brother's consolation.

"I'm glad you finally settled your annoying ass down with somebody, and I can clearly see that he reciprocates to your feelings too... you know it pissed me off that you kept it a secret from me, remind me to kick your ass when you got your memories back..." Ichigo sighed. "... but it's kinda hard for me to let you go, yanno... I wonder why..."

Renji didn't answer, nor did he react.

"If Byakuya ever heard this, he'll slash me for sure... and since when did I sound this cheesy?"

Ichigo studied the face he had came to like a lot, his hand stopped working on the red strands and switched job, tracing the skin texture, contours and the feature of Renji's face. Ichigo's fingertips made its way from Renji's forehead, following the fine lines of his tattoos, down into a surprisingly soft cheek; they traced the shape of Renji's strong jaw before it traveled further, passing Renji's chin and paused on the soft, velvety lips.

Ichigo has this weird urge to try whether they felt this soft if his lips were the one tracing them, instead of his fingers.

A soft moan dissolved Ichigo from his (dirty) thoughts.

"R-Renji?" Ichigo tried his best not to sound faltered and he would blame it to the heat if someone asked why did his cheeks grow so pink. Not that it would work, since actually it wasn't that hot today.

Renji's brows furrowed a bit and the redhead shifted on his bed, murmuring muffled words.

"Byakuya... nnh, not there..."

"Huh!?" Ichigo's face exploded red from Renji's soft murmurs and the sudden-struck of his own version of mental images the redhead was possibly having.

Renji tossed his head to the right, squeezing his eyes.

"He's dreaming... he's dreaming..." Ichigo murmured and didn't realize he let that one out loud. The human shinigami averted his gaze from the bed so he didn't need to see what kind of expression Renji was putting on and started pressing his palm to his chest in an attempt to reduce his rapidly beating heart.

"Mmh... Ichigo..."

Ichigo's heartbeat, if possible, got faster when his name dissolved in a throaty voice from those soft-looking lips. It was now his turn to squeeze his eyes shut and prevented a hitched voice from emerging into existence.

_"What the hell!? Did he have some threesome dream going on in that wicked mind!?" _Ichigo fisted his hands and drew a long, hopefully calming breath.

He felt a tug at his robes.

When Ichigo looked back down to the bed, a pair of glazed, tired auburn eyes stared back at him.

"Ichigo..." another tug, this time Ichigo fully registered that Renji was back into consciousness.

"You're awake!" Ichigo tried to sound happy without giving ways to his earlier uneasiness. _"... so his earlier 'Ichigo' wasn't a part of the dream..." _the carrot top felt a nagging feeling that he refused to label as disappointment sipped into his skin.

The college boy shook his head.

"Yeah, and my head feels like shit..." Renji closed his eyes again before he opened them and refocusing on his surrounding. "Where the hell am I?"

"You don't remember?"

"What do you mean I don't remember? I can't remember a single thing for my own goodness!" Renji pouted before he pushed himself up into a sitting position.

Ichigo smiled and was about to retort back when the door was opened and the figure of the caring Fourth Division captain entered both males' field of view with a gentle smile on those pale lips. Unohana Retsu saw the freshly awaken Sixth Division fukutaichou and she sighed a sigh of relief before that elegant smile was back again on her face.

"You're awake, Abarai-fukutaichou..."

Renji frowned and Ichigo blinked. "Unohana-taichou?"

Unohana smiled wider as she stepped further into the room, her smile was pure and her aura was oddly calming, Renji thought. It seemed familiar enough to him.

"Don't worry Abarai-fukutaichou, I'm not your enemy," she said reassuringly. "In fact, I've found a way to get back your memories," the woman stared at Renji with her motherly gaze as she placed a warm, small hand on Renji's shoulder, showing no ill intent towards the tense redhead.

"Really!?" Ichigo got up from his seat with a huge smile and a hopeful expression.

"Of course, but this method was purely my hypothesis and it has possibilities of failing. I've discussed this with Kuchiki-taichou just now and he agreed to this method... now the only thing I need is your agreement."

"What method?" Renji asked, tilting his head to side as his tattooed brows knitted together into a frown.

"To put it short, Abarai-fukutaichou... your brain seemed to dig up your lost memories on its own, that's why you keep seeing flashes of scenes and stuffs from your past. And I see that it serves you well when you're unconscious... I believe that is the only time you ever remember something, aside from your meeting with Kuchiki-taichou."

Renji pondered awhile and counted with his fingers. "I... guess so?"

"That is why I came up with a solution that it'll be best to release all strain from your body and maximize your capability of recovering to your brain..."

"Err... you mean?"

Ichigo instantly didn't like the heavy sigh Unohana let out before she met Renji's gaze with warm violet eyes.

"In other words, we'll put you into comma, Abarai-fukutaichou..."

Ichigo's eyes widened.

"What!?"

-Tsuzuku-

A/N: Okay, a sorta-like-cliffhanger! Sorry, but if I continued it I don't know where to stop. So I guess it'll be better like this.

This chapter was hard... I mean, the idea of ByakuIchi conversation was sitting in my mind for a long time, and I wanna put it in and still make the charas IC. But when I actually wrote it, I can't make Byakuya or Ichigo stay in their characterization (since I make them said things too sappy for my liking). It ended up like that and it doesn't end up very well for me .

And Renji! Boy... I tried not to alter him from his original character too far but... I can't help myself, a cute helpless-puppy!Renji is too cute to ignore...:thwacks head: I'm very sorry about that (and I just realized I made Unohana smiled a little bit too much...) XP

Anyway, thanks a bunch to everyone who spared their time to read this! It made me extremely HAPPY!! (And those who comments of course, hehe, comments are love!).


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